2011 SUBARU TRIBECA oil

the underbody. If the vehicle is used with
these materials trapped or adhering to the
underbody, a mechanical breakdown or
fire could occur. .Secure all cargo carried inside the
vehicle and make certain that it is not
piled higher than the seatbacks. During
sudden stops or jolts, unsecured cargo
could be thrown around in the vehicle and
cause injury. Do not pile heavy loads on
the roof. Those loads raise the vehicle ’s
center of gravity and make it more prone
to tip over. . If you must rock the vehicle to free it
from sand or mud, depress the accelerator
pedal slightly and move the select lever
back and forth between “D ” and “R ”
repeatedly. Do not race the engine. For
the best possible traction, avoid spinning
the wheels when trying to free the vehicle. . When the road surface is extremely
slippery, you can obtain better traction by
starting the vehicle with the transmission
in 2nd than 1st. . Never equip your vehicle with tires
larger than those specified in this manual.. Wash the vehicle ’s underbody after off-
road driving. Suspension components are
particularly prone to dirt buildup, so they
need to be washed thoroughly. . Frequent driving of an AWD model
under hard-driving conditions such as rough roads or off roads will necessitate
more frequent replacement of engine oil,
brake fluid and transmission oil than that
specified in the maintenance schedule
described in the
“Warranty and Mainte-
nance Booklet ”.
Remember that damage done to your
SUBARU while operating it off-road and
not using common sense precautions
such as those listed above is not eligible
for warranty coverage. Winter driving
&
Operation during cold weather
Carry some emergency equipment, such
as a window scraper, a bag of sand,
flares, a small shovel and jumper cables.
Check the battery and cables. Cold
temperatures reduce battery capacity.
The battery must be in good condition to
provide enough power for cold winterstarts.
Use an engine oil of proper grade and
viscosity for cold weather. Heavy summer
oil will cause harder starting.
Keep the door locks from freezing by
squirting them with deicer or glycerin. Driving tips
8-7
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.Backing up with a trailer is difficult and
takes practice. When backing up with a
trailer, never accelerate or steer rapidly.
When turning back, grip the bottom of the
steering wheel with one hand and turn it to
the left for a left turn, and turn it to the right
for a right turn. . If the ABS warning light illuminates
while the vehicle is in motion, stop towing
the trailer and have repairs performed
immediately by the nearest SUBARU
dealer. ! Driving on grades
. Before going down a steep hill, slow
down and shift into lower gear (if neces-
sary, use 1st gear) in order to utilize the
engine braking effect and prevent over-
heating of your vehicle ’s brakes. Do not
make sudden downshifts. . When driving uphill in hot weather, the
air conditioner may turn off automatically
to protect the engine from overheating. . When driving uphill in hot weather, pay
attention to the water temperature gauge
pointer and AT OIL TEMP warning light
because the engine and transmission are
relatively prone to overheating under
these conditions. If the water temperature
gauge pointer approaches the OVER-
HEAT zone or the AT OIL TEMP warning
light illuminates, immediately turn off the air conditioner and stop the vehicle in the
nearest safe location. For further instruc-
tions and additional information, refer to
the following sections.
–“If you park your vehicle in an
emergency ”F 9-2
–“ Engine overheating ”F 9-14
–“ Temperature gauge ”F 3-9
–“ AT OIL TEMP warning light ”F 3-13
NOTE
The temperature of engine coolant is
less likely to rise to the OVERHEAT
zone in the “D ” position than in the
manual mode position. . Avoid using the accelerator pedal to
stay stationary on an uphill slope instead
of using the parking brake or foot brake.
That may cause the transmission fluid tooverheat. ! Parking on a grade
Always block the wheels under both
vehicle and trailer when parking. Apply
the parking brake firmly. You should not
park on a hill or slope. But if parking on a
hill or slope cannot be avoided, you
should take the following steps.
1. Apply the brakes and hold the pedal down.
2. Have someone place wheel blocks
under both the vehicle and trailer wheels. 3. When the wheel blocks are in place,
release the regular brakes slowly until the
blocks absorb the load.
4. Apply the regular brakes and then
apply the parking brake; slowly release
the regular brakes.
5. Shift into
“P ”and shut off the engine. Driving tips
8-27

WARNING
Do not use oil or grease on the
wheel studs or nuts when the spare
tire is installed. This could cause the
nuts to become loose and lead to anaccident.
15. Turn the jack handle counterclockwise
to lower the vehicle.
CAUTION
There are 2 types of wheel nut
wrenches that apply to differentlengths.
For models with silver-colored alu-
minum wheels, the 10.8-inch (275
mm) wheel nut wrench is equipped
as a maintenance tool. And for
models with optional chrome-fin-
ished wheels, the 13.2-inch (335
mm) wheel nut wrench is equipped
as well. Confirm the equipped wheel
nut wrench type when you replace a
tire. If the wheel nut wrench is the
different type, it cannot be tightened
to the specified torque.
1) The length of the wheel nut wrench
16. Confirm the length of the equipped
wheel nut wrench and wheel nut tighten-
ing torque. Refer to “Tires ”F 12-8.
17. Use the wheel nut wrench to securely
tighten the wheel nuts to the specified torque, following the tightening order in theillustration.
Never use your foot on the wheel nut
wrench or a pipe extension on the wrench
because you may exceed the specified
torque. Have the wheel nut torque
checked at the nearest automotive service
facility.
WARNING
Do not use the extension when
turning the wheel nuts. If you did,
you would not be able to achieve
sufficient tightening torque. The
wheel nuts could then come loose,
resulting in a serious accident.
18. Store the flat tire in the spare tire In case of emergency
9-9
– CONTINUED –

9-14In case of emergency
Engine overheating
WARNING
Never attempt to remove the radia-
tor cap until the engine has been
shut off and has fully cooled down.
When the engine is hot, the coolant
is under pressure. Removing the
cap while the engine is still hot
could release a spray of boiling hot
coolant, which could burn you very
seriously.
If the engine overheats, safely pull off the
road and stop the vehicle in a safe place. & If steam is coming from the
engine compartment
Turn off the engine and get everyone
away from the vehicle until it cools down. & If no steam is coming from
the engine compartment
NOTE
For details about how to check the
coolant level or how to add coolant,
refer to “Engine coolant ”F 11-10.
1. Keep the engine running at idlingspeed. 2. Open the hood to ventilate the engine
compartment. Refer to
“Engine hood ”
F 11-4.
Confirm that the cooling fan is turning. If
the fan is not turning, immediately turn off
the engine and contact your authorized
dealer for repair.
3. After the engine coolant temperature
has dropped, turn off the engine.
If the temperature gauge stays at the
overheated zone, turn off the engine.
4. After the engine has fully cooled down,
check the coolant level in the reservetank.
If the coolant level is below the “LOW ”
mark, add coolant up to the “FULL ”mark.
5. If there is no coolant in the reserve
tank, add coolant to the reserve tank.
Then remove the radiator cap and fill the
radiator with coolant.
If you remove the radiator cap from a hot
radiator, first wrap a thick cloth around the
radiator cap, then turn the cap counter-
clockwise slowly without pressing down
until it stops. Release the pressure from
the radiator. After the pressure has been
fully released, remove the cap by pressing
down and turning it. TowingWARNING
Never tow AWD models with the
front wheels raised off the ground
while the rear wheels are on the
ground, or with the rear wheels
raised off the ground while the front
wheels are on the ground. This will
cause the vehicle to spin away due
to the operation or deterioration of
the center differential.
If towing is necessary, it is best done by
your SUBARU dealer or a commercial
towing service. Observe the following
procedures for safety.

Maintenance schedule....................................... 11-3
Maintenance precautions ................................... 11-3
Before checking or servicing in the engine compartment .................................................... 11-4
When you do checking or servicing in the engine compartment while the engine is running .......... 11-4
Engine hood ....................................................... 11-4
Engine compartment overview .......................... 11-6
Engine oil ............................................................ 11-7
Checking the oil level ......................................... 11-7
Changing the oil and oil filter .............................. 11-8
Recommended grade and viscosity .................... 11-9
Synthetic oil ....................................................... 11-9
Cooling system ................................................ 11-10
Hose and connections ...................................... 11-10
Engine coolant ................................................. 11-10
Air cleaner element .......................................... 11-13
Replacing the air cleaner element ..................... 11-13
Spark plugs ...................................................... 11-14
Recommended spark plugs .............................. 11-14
Drive belts ........................................................ 11-14
Automatic transmission fluid .......................... 11-15
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-15
Recommended fluid ......................................... 11-16
Front differential gear oil ................................. 11-16
Checking the oil level ....................................... 11-16
Recommended grade and viscosity .................. 11-17
Rear differential gear oil .................................. 11-17
Recommended grade and viscosity .................. 11-17Power steering fluid
........................................ 11-17
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-17
Recommended fluid ......................................... 11-18
Brake fluid ........................................................ 11-18
Checking the fluid level .................................... 11-18
Recommended brake fluid ............................... 11-19
Brake booster .................................................. 11-19
Brake pedal ...................................................... 11-20
Checking the brake pedal free play .................. 11-20
Checking the brake pedal reserve distance....... 11-20
Replacement of brake pad and lining ............ 11-20
Breaking-in of new brake pads and linings ....... 11-21
Parking brake stroke ....................................... 11-21
Tires and wheels .............................................. 11-22
Types of tires ................................................... 11-22
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) .......... 11-22
Tire inspection ................................................. 11-23
Tire pressures and wear .................................. 11-24
Wheel balance ................................................. 11-26
Wear indicators ............................................... 11-26
Tire rotation direction mark .............................. 11-26
Tire rotation ..................................................... 11-27
Tire replacement .............................................. 11-27
Wheel replacement .......................................... 11-28
Aluminum wheels ............................................ 11-28
Windshield washer fluid .................................. 11-29
Replacement of wiper blades ......................... 11-30
Windshield wiper blade assembly ..................... 11-31
Windshield wiper blade rubber . ........................ 11-31
Rear window wiper blade assembly .................. 11-32
Maintenance and service
11

11-4Maintenance and service
guard against getting oil or fluids
in your eyes. If something does
get in your eyes, thoroughly
wash them out with clean water.
. Do not tamper with the wiring of
the SRS airbag system or seat-
belt pretensioner system, or at-
tempt to take its connectors
apart, as that may activate the
system or it can render it inop-
erative. NEVER use a circuit
tester for these wiring. If your
SRS airbag or seatbelt preten-
sioner needs service, consult
your nearest SUBARU dealer.
& Before checking or servicing
in the engine compartment
WARNING
. Always stop the engine and set
the parking brake firmly to pre-
vent the vehicle from moving.
. Always let the engine cool down.
Engine parts become very hot
when the engine is running and
remain hot for some time after
the engine is stopped.
. Do not spill engine oil, engine
coolant, brake fluid or any other fluid on hot engine components.
This may cause a fire.
. Always remove the key from the
ignition switch. When the ignition
switch is in the “ON ”position,
thecoolingfanmayoperate
suddenly even when the engine
is stopped.
& When you do checking or
servicing in the engine com-
partment while the engine is running
WARNING
A running engine can be dangerous.
Keep your fingers, hands, clothing,
hair and tools away from the cooling
fan, belts and any other moving
engine parts. Removing rings,
watches and ties is advisable. Engine hoodTo open the hood:
1. If the wiper blades are lifted off the
windshield, return them to their originalpositions.
2. Pull the hood release knob under the
instrument panel.

11-6Maintenance and service
Engine compartment overview1) Air cleaner element (page 11-13)
2) Power steering fluid reservoir
(page 11-17)
3) Differential gear oil level gauge (page 11-16)
4) Automatic transmission fluid level gauge (page 11-15)
5) Brake fluid reservoir (page 11-18)
6) Fuse box (page 11-35)
7) Battery (page 11-34)
8) Windshield washer tank (page 11-29)
9) Radiator cap (page 11-10)
10) Engine oil filler cap (page 11-7)
11) Engine coolant reservoir (page 11-10)
12) Engine oil level gauge (page 11-7)

Engine oil NOTE .The engine oil consumption rate is
not stabilized, and therefore cannot be
determined until the vehicle has tra-
veled at least several thousand miles
(kilometers). Even after break-in, when
the vehicle is used under severe driv-
ing conditions such as those men-
tioned in the “Warranty and Mainte-
nance Booklet ”, engine oil is con-
sumed or deteriorated more quickly
than under normal driving conditions.
If you drive your vehicle under these
severe conditions, you should check
the oil level at least at every second
fuel fill-up time, and change the oil
more frequently. Please refer to the“ Warranty and Maintenance Booklet ”
for more details.. If the oil consumption rate seems
abnormally high after the break-in
period, for example more than 1 quart
per 1,200 miles or 1 liter per 2,000
kilometers, we recommend that you
contact your SUBARU dealer. &
Checking the oil level
Check the engine oil level at each fuelstop.
1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and
stop the engine.
2. Pull out the level gauge, wipe it clean,
and insert it again.
3. Be sure the level gauge is correctly
inserted until it stops with the graphic
symbol “
”on its top appearing as
shown in the illustration.
1) Full level
2) Low level
3) Approximately 1.1 US qt (1.0 liter, 0.9 Imp qt) from the low level to the full level
4. Pull out the level gauge again and
check the oil level on it. If it is below the
low level (L), add oil to bring the level up to
the full level (F).
CAUTION
. Use only engine oil with the
recommended grade and vis-
cosity. Maintenance and service
11-7
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